USAV Reveals Men's World Cup Preliminary Roster

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 18, 2011) – Ten Olympians are on the preliminary roster for the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team that will compete at the FIVB World Cup on Nov. 20-Dec. 4 in Japan.

The top three finishing teams at the FIVB World Cup will qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Most U.S. players are now competing with clubs overseas, but will return around Nov. 7 to begin training for the World Cup. The roster will be cut to 14 players during the training block.

Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) played on the 2004 Olympic Team that finished fourth in Athens.

The team also includes opposite David McKienzie (Lakewood, Colo.), who is on his first U.S. Men’s roster since 2007. He is the third opposite on the roster behind Stanley and Evan Patak (Pleasanton, Calif.).

“We feel like we need some depth there,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said of the opposite position. “Dave is playing at a high level. This gives us three really good opposites.”

“We have two setters that have set most of this year for us in Brian and Kevin,” Knipe said. “That’s the way they come into this training block. Brian had a good World League and I thought Kevin had a good NORCECA. We’ll go from there.”

Other middle blockers on the long list are Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.), Max Holt (Cincinnati, Ohio) and David Smith (Saugus, Calif.).

The majority of the players on the long list have seen considerable playing time either at the FIVB World League and NORCECA Championship or at the Pan American Cup.

The FIVB Men’s World Cup will be its 11th edition after having been established in 1965. The event became a qualifying event for the Olympic Games in 1991 ahead of the Barcelona Games. Since then the World Cup has been traditionally the first Olympic Games qualifying event for volleyball. Japan has proudly hosted the competition since 1977.

This will be the U.S. Men’s 11th straight appearance in the World Cup after it first appearance in 1973. The U.S. Men won the event in 1985 and finished third in 1991.The U.S. Men have finished fourth in the last four World Cup tournaments, just missing an Olympic qualification slot.

The U.S. Men will open the World Cup in Kagoshima and will play China, Brazil and Russia in their first three matches.

"This is the tournament where you can't complain about pools," Knipe said. "When it comes down to it, you have to play everyone.